Family Housing has equipped its field-based staff and other lone workers with Connexion2’s award winning and ACPO ‘secured by design’ accredited lone worker devices.
Family Housing’s previous method for lone worker safety relied on a dedicated button on a mobile phone to raise the alarm if the lone worker felt threatened. However, the housing provider’s front-line staff said that if faced with a potentially dangerous situation, they would have to reach for their phone, which could be at the bottom of a bag, or the phone could easily be knocked out of their hand.
All Connexion2’s SoloProtect solutions are BS8484 approved, guaranteeing a Police escalation, one level above a 999 call, where appropriate. The solution includes Identicom devices, inclusive billing, 24/7 manned monitoring, SIM cards, mobile network usage, device training and monthly reporting.
Baz Patel, information systems manager, Family Housing, said, “We needed a more robust system for our lone workers and we have therefore made Identicom part of our health and safety policy. With Identicom, field-based workers can use the ‘red alert’ at any time if they feel vulnerable, knowing that they will quickly get support.”
When an employee feels they are entering a hazardous situation, the Identicom devices allow users to activate an ‘amber alert’, leaving important location information. If they feel unsafe or if their safety is compromised, they can then discreetly raise a ‘red alert’ which is received by an approved alarm receiving centre (ARC), where a dedicated member of the lone worker team can listen to and assess the situation and escalate to a Police response if necessary. In the event of a verbal confrontation, the ARC can record the conversation, which can then be admissible in court if required.
